Things is a well known to-do management application on the Mac that also has an iPhone companion app. The iPhone version of Things work very well both standalone and in sync with its desktop big-brother, helping you to keep track of what you need to do.
The Interface
The interface of Things is clean and simple. They have managed to get the entirety of a full to-do management system into the iPhone, utilizing the simple touch gestures to control your items.
Each menu and screen is well thought out and it feels like a solid app in all areas. It is simple to move to-do items and mark them as due/not due from your Today screen or edit them. More on that later.
As important of an application as Things is, its interface is a big thumbs up, including the icon, which proudly sits on my first home screen.
Item Handling
If you have used the full-featured app on the Mac, you will realize that the iPhone version isn’t a crippled desktop client but a full-blown app by itself. You can create items, move them around, make them due or defer them. Everything that I expect to be able to do in order for the app to be useful to me.
A feature that I truly miss on the iPhone client is being able to cancel to-do items. I don’t want to delete the items that I decide not to do (that I don’t defer), nor do I want to mark them as completed. On the desktop version, I can simply hold down the option-key while checking the item off. On the iPhone version, I find no way to do this, which bugs me. While I realize it isn’t as simple as just option-clicking, something must be doable!
Otherwise, both projects and areas of responsibility work well on the iPhone including tags, which are surprisingly easy to filter by, even on a mobile version. Big thumbs up here as well to the Things crew for the great feature set.
Syncing with the desktop client
Syncing is very simple between Things on the Mac and Things on the iPhone. All you do is make sure the Mac and the iPhone are on the same network (ad hoc works just fine). Then make sure to have Things running on your computer. When that is done, all you need to do is launch the app on your iPhone (or iPod Touch) which will then automatically sync.
Everything, in my experience now over more than a year, syncs beautifully. Items, tags, projects and areas. Nothing gets lost in the way.
Conclusion
I really like Things on the iPhone. It is beautifully designed and makes it simple to manage everything you need to do. Even if you don’t own the Mac version, it is an application that I would use as a powerful to-do manager on the phone itself. If you have the application, getting the app is a no-brainer.
Things
Things is a to-do list management application that helps you get things done by offering a wide range of tools for keeping your to do list active.
- Cultured Code
- Get on App Store
- $9.99
All info was collected on 12th January, 2010 when the app was reviewed.
About Erik Bernskiold
Erik is is a Web Designer, Photographer and Software-Trainer. He is the owner of Bernskiold Media who runs graphic and web development software-training website Bernskiold Learning and web design and development company XLD Studios.
I agree, it is great, but the cost is pretty steep! not to mention the cost of the desktop version ($50.00) yikes.
Becker (wedding photog based here in SoCal) also just plugged Things. It looks great (yes, except for the steep price of the desktop app), but I discovered Todo (http://appigo.com/) prior to Things, which I LOVE and the updates have been really fabulous. Sadly, they don't have a desktop version too, but it's a pretty flexible interface. They now have push notifications as well, so I get my reminders on my iPhone that I have to do something without clogging up my regular iCal calendar with reminders. I've been able to make wonderful custom lists, along with a main title (such as "plan vacation") with mini check-lists as sub-tasks (such as "check prices on Expedia", "Ask for days off of work", "Set up mail hold", etc)
Terry, have you seen Todo, and if so, what's your opinion of the pros/cons vs. Things?
I have Things too and it's great but I hate that local WiFi sync where you have to have desktop version of Things AND Thing on iPhone open at the same time to get them synced. Dropbox, iDisk and Evernote can sync whenever via cellular 3G or whatever WiFi internet connection but Things needs local WiFi and apps open.
I realize this is because Things doesn't have a web cloud where to sync all the data between desktop and mobile but as it stands today it really is not good for efficient workflow.
Things on the cloud would be rather sweet wouldn't it?
I love ToDo also. It helps keep me organized and is one of my favorite apps if not my favorite!
As per Karen R., I'm curious whether you've switched your To Do List App? ToDo was reviewed Sept. 26, 2008 and was apparently your app of choice then but now it seems that Things may have replaced it. I'm using ToDo but struggling a bit with the interface which I thought would be easier. (This is probably because I just haven't played with it enough.) Any thoughts about pros and cons for the 2 apps? Thanks for all your great reviews.
Todo is still MY app of choice. Things was reviewed by Erik and it’s HIS app of choice. Thanks!
Could it be that in the reviewer is mentioned in the BEGINNING of the review, rather than in the end? It would be much more convenient to see right in the start who wrote this post.
The problem I have with Things is that it isn't updated. It's a gorgeous app, but it doesn't have nearly the features as Appigo's ToDo. I used to be a loyal Things user, but I waited… and waited for some significant updates that would have added functionality in line with what ToDo has, but so far nothing. What a shame.